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My husband and I stayed again in a premier suite and were given exactly the same room as our last stay- with the dirty windows and the view of the same building site! We have stayed here 3 times now and one thing that has been consistently average is the Valet parking.. I don't think this is acceptable for a 5 star hotel. On the 3 occasions we have used this service we have parked our car and waited for several minutes with no one approaching us and then after getting out of the car and removing our bags ourselves we have still had to approach a staff member.. This process appears to run more smoothly at other hotels, I'm not sure why they don't have more staff at the front before check in time? (And no we don't drive a bomb!). We had 2 gift certificates for massages which I booked in over the phone. When we arrived at the Spa we checked in, surrended our certificates, had the massages and then were told to return to the desk to finalise the account? When we returned to the desk the girl told us there was an extra charge of $30 for the massages as they had changed over their computer system??? The vouchers didn't expire until March, we booked in for a 'customised massage' which the certificate stated but they deceptively waited until after we had had the massage to tell us that we had been given a 'relaxation massage' as the 'customised massage' no longer existed so we needed to pay the extra money. This made absolutely no sense to us but we just paid the money and couldn't get out of there fast enough. Apart from that, the stay was pleasant, the beds are always comfortable- room service efficient and food lovely. I don't think we will be returning in a hurry though.

MrAndrewCairns, General Manager at Crown Towers, responded to this review,
January 20, 2013

Thank you for the feedback after your recent stay at Crown Towers.

Please accept my apologies for the confusion with the handling of your spa gift certificates. This was obviously a situation that could have been better communicated and I thank you for bringing this to my attention for follow up. Your comments about the valet parking have been shared with the relevant managers also.

As a regular guest, we do appreciate your continued support and will often allocate guests to their past room where possible, as this allows the guest to feel right at home quickly. I’d encourage you to let us know at the point of reservation, or as you check in, should you have particular preferences and am sorry you were disappointed with this most recent room.

Thank you again for your comments and I do we hope we have the chance to welcome you again in the future.

Kind regards,

Andrew CairnsGeneral ManagerCrown Towers

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Thank you. We appreciate your input.

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

I stayed at the hotel while visiting Australia in conjunction with the promotion of my new book on teamwork (which draws lessons from the Sydney to Hobart Race). I just come from a wonderful experience at the Park Hyatt in Sydney, and was expecting a something similar in Melbourne.

My wife and I were met at the reception desk by a young woman who explained that, as we were privileged members of the "Crystal Club," she would escort us upstairs to a special check-in service. On the way up, the receptionist shared that she was overworked, and was escorting us to the Crystal Club as a way of taking a break.

During our special check-in, I raised a question about the Crown Towers policy of charging $25 per device for wireless access. As my wife and I have a number of devices, this added some $100/night to the cost of the room. The new receptionist indicated that she would check with her supervisor, and that he would contact me to discuss the charge. He did.

The charges for extra device were annoying, but they were nothing compared to the brusque, unfriendly call I received from the receptionist's supervisor. With an abrupt tone bordering on rudeness, his message was clear: "Take it or leave it, that's what the competition does." I was astounded that the call was devoid of the slightest concern for customer service, but there were more surprises to come.

As someone who studies teamwork, I was struck by the stark contrast between the staff at Crown Towers and what I saw during our previous stay in Sydney. Things weren't perfect at the Park Hyatt, yet I left feeling that the staff cared about their guests, and they were a cohesive team. At the Crown Towers I saw an overworked collection of people -- some trying their best, but hardly a team.

Curious about what others thought, I looked at the reviews on TripAdvisor. I was astonished to find hundreds of 4 and 5 star reviews. People raved about things like the flimsy white rug in the bathroom, the worn, dirty white rugs in the bedroom, or the crystal lights by the sink. I don't know if the reviews were concocted, or if they were genuine reviews by people who are dazzled by chrome -- or, perhaps, have never stayed at a really good hotel. But there were only a few people (28) who shared my perception that this is an average hotel. A small number (16) rated it as poor, and some (9) thought it was terrible. I vote with the 28: this is an average, but highly overrated hotel.

I found the General Manager, Andrew Cairns, on LinkedIn and decided to share my experience in an email. I didn’t expect anything to change, but I was curious to hear his response. I didn’t get any, but the effort wasn’t wasted. I'm confident that I can use these two diverse experiences in Australian hotels as informative case studies for my next book.

In the meantime, I don’t expect anything to change at the Crown Towers. I’m writing this review only to warn others who may not be so blinded by chrome that they can overlook poor service and faux elegance

Room Tip: Try the Sofitel or the Park Hyatt.

See more room tips

Stayed December 2012, traveled on business

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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

MrAndrewCairns, General Manager at Crown Towers, responded to this review,
January 21, 2013

Dear Dennis,Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback on your recent stay at Crown Towers. I appreciate the fact that you wished to make contact with myself via LinkedIn, however I have been away from the Hotel hence my inability to respond.

I certainly take note of your comments, especially those around the level of service provided by our staff and the impression this has left. As you mention yourself, we receive large amounts of unsolicited positive feedback regarding the high levels of service and attention to detail which we pride ourselves on and so to read your comments obviously concerns me and I assure you that your comments will be addressed.

You mention you do not expect anything to change at Crown Towers, however I can assure you your feedback will be taken on board so that we are able to make positive changes and confirm many of the great experiences our other guests have previously had and continue to enjoy.

Thank you again for your comments and I do hope we have the opportunity to welcome you to Crown Towers again in the future.

Kind Regards,

Andrew Cairns General Manager Crown Towers

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Thank you. We appreciate your input.

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

Crown towers is simply stunning! After visiting its neighbouring property, the crown metropol, my partner and I loved the towers even more. Housekeeping does an award winning job. The rooms are beautifully appointed with some wonderful views of the city. The bed is extremely comfortable and the sheets very soft. The facilities are fantastic and include a 5* pool, tennis court and gym. You just can’t go wrong staying at the towers! Melbourne is on your door step and everything is within walking distance.

Only down side would be our check in experience with an Indian staff member who nodded but didn’t really listen to our requests. I would have expected a greater attention to detail and customer service quality at crown, especially considering we upgraded our room type because a non smoking room was un available when we arrived at 4pm.

Surprisingly, the most friendly and genuinely warm staff were in fact the cleaners. Keep up the good work!

The views of the city are stunning, and the rooms are gorgeous. Agree with noddy that it is a well worth it total indulgence. We are American, and our Australian friends had warned us that service in Australia is not nearly as good as in America. While we noticed that other places in Melbourne, the Crown Towers went above and beyond, and they really took care of everyone. It is right on top of the Melbourne riverside "fire" show, so on the hours at night, don't get scared by the giant fire breathing towers!

Stayed December 2012, traveled as a couple

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Every year we are the given a Crown Package by some wonderful people we know.Package includes Valet Parking, Bottle of Sparkling Wine, Accommodation and Breakfast in the Conservatory.This hotel is perfectly located and everything one can want is that their finger tips.Rooms are furnished right up to the minute with state of the art appliances including big TV.Though with so much going on around you not much time for TV.

Conservatory has been done up to allow more light in and has a very relaxed feel.The full breakfast was excellent. Parking both dropping off and collecting was seamless.High recommend this fine establishment.As I said it is a total indulgence.

We have stayed at Crown Towers previously for both work and leisure.When deciding where to stay in Melbourne for our wedding anniversary we knew Crown Towers was it. Stayed in an Executive Suite for 5 nights.We could not complain about anything.We used the spa, the pool and several of the restaurants.Great hotel, great facilities, great location.

Stayed January 2013, traveled as a couple

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Stayed at crown towers for a convention (hardware) for 3 nights am an sceptic when it comes to casino hotels but for me this was a revelation and especially for Australia it was clean rooms are stunning service brilliant I hope they get the new casino in Sydney would make a huge leap in class

Stayed April 2012, traveled on business

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Ask Dgam007 about Crown Towers

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Crown Towers sets the benchmark for luxury hotels in Australia.Beautifully located on the southern bank of the Yarra River in Melbourne, Crown Towers sets the benchmark for luxury hotels in Australia. Lavishly appointed and offering an impeccable standard of customer service and attention to detail, Crown Towers is a hotel that truly understands the meaning of opulence.- Winner of the 2011 Hotel Management Awards for the ‘Best Luxury Hotel’ title.- Winner of the 2010 Australian Gourmet Traveller Travel Awards for Nesspresso’s ‘Best Large Luxury Hotel’.- Winner of the 2009 Hotel Club annual awards for both the Best Luxury Hotel and Best Service Hotel in Victoria....more less

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Crown Towers Hotel Melbourne

Crown Hotel Melbourne

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